Quick Punch mode (Preference for "Start recording in background on Playback for any record-enabled tracks")

Basic Premise of Feature Request:
Preference for "Start recording in background on Playback for any record-enabled tracks"

What this means:
Currently in Reaper, recording doesn't happen until you hit the Record button. With this preference, as soon as you hit play, Reaper would start recording the input for any Record Enabled tracks in the background. If you hit stop without ever engaging record during playback, all of that recorded data would be discarded. If Record is engaged at any point during playback, media items would be created on screen during the time that record is enabled, just like they are now when toggling in and out of record in Normal Record mode. However, all of these media items could be trimmed to reveal all of the extra material recorded in the background from the point that Play was pressed originally. This allows you to save a take if you don't punch in at the exact perfect moment and is an absolutely essential feature for tracking live music.

Manual punch ins would finally be possible while still preserving the ability to trim and reveal hidden audio, as we can in "Time Selection Auto Punch" mode.

This is essential behaviour while tracking in order to ensure takes don't have to be scrapped due to non-perfect manual punch points. "Time Selection Auto Punch" already does this, but cannot be used in a manual "on the fly" method, and cannot be used to only punch in since a punch out point must be defined as well. This is not useful if you are "building" a track in parts as you go, rather than punching in in the middle of a recorded performance. You would also be able to punch in several parts in one pass, while still retaining the hidden audio.